Coupling



Feb, 9, 1932. ,JQHNSQN 1,844,471

COUPLING Original Filed Jan. 10, 1928 Patented Feb. 9, 1932 Uuirnn srrss PATENT OFFICE JAMES 1?. JOHNSON, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE J. P. JOHNSON ENGINEER- ING COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO COUPLING Original application filed January 10, 1928, Serial No. 244,610. Divided and. this application filed December This invention relates to couplings of the untiairiction type and has for its object to prm 'ide an anti-friction driving means between a drive member and a driven member ecccntrically mounted. with respect to each other and constitutes a division of my application, Serial No. 24:4,(510, filed January 10, 1928.

Another object oi the invention 'is to proride :1 new and novel anti-friction coupling for connecting a drive member and a driven member having cooperating portions rotatabio about different axes.

it further object of the invention is to pro vide a coupling which is simple in constructioin eflicient in operation, and inexpensive to manufacture.

With the objects above indicated and other objects hereinafter explained in view, my invention consists in the construction and combination of elements hereinafter described and claimed.

jiiwcrring; to the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a couplinp; embodying the invention.

2 is a side elevational View of the couplin r shown in Fig. 1, portions of which are shown in section.

F in. 3 an end elcvational View of a modilie-d term of the invention.

Fi l is a side elevatioiml view of the uiodui uion shown in Fig. 3 with portions thereot broken away.

in the drawings I have shown in detail the anti-triction coupling embodying the present invention which is adapted to be used for driving two disaligned or eccentric members at preferably the same speed where it desirable to have a positive anti-friction driviup; connection.

As shown in the drawings, a disc or ir regular member is provided with a shaft 1 l which may be Formed integral therewith and oi any suitable material. The shaft 11 is rotatably mounted within a bushing 12 suitably supported in a bearing; 13 0t any desired shape or form. A disc or irregular member 1 1 is provided with a shaft 15 preferaljily :t'ormed integral therewith and of any suitable material and is rotatably mounted Serial No. 324,000.

within a bushing; 16 supported in any suitable bearing- 17, the axis oi rotation of the shaft 11 being eccentric or off-center with respect to the axis of the shaft 15 and either the shaft 11 or the shaft 15 may be employed as the drive member in which case the 0pposite shaft is employed as the driven memher.

The disc 10 is provided with circular recesses 18 any number of which may be 'em ployed although four are herein shown, these four recesses being positioned upon a common radius struck from the axis of rotation of disc 10 and preferably spaced 90 apart. The balls 19 are of any suitable diameter or size and. the depth of the recesses is preferably slightly less than the radius of the balls. The disc 14 is also provided with recesses 20 any number of which may be employed, although four are herein shown, the number, hon/even should correspond to the number of recesses 18 provided in the disc 10. The depth of the recesses 20 is also slightly less than the radius of the balls 19 so as to provide suiiicient clearance between the adjacent faces of the disc 10 and the disc 14 during rotation without interference therebetween. cesses 20 are positioned upon the same radius and preferably spaced 90 as herein shown and are positioned with respect to the recesses 18 in such a manner that the balls 19 are adapted to engage the lower and upper adjacent portions respectively of the recesses 18 and 20. During: the rotation of the discs 10 and i l, the balls 19 will have a positive rolling anti-friction al engagement with the recesses 18 and 20. In arranging the balls or bearing members of this anti-friction coupling it should be borne in mind that the cooperating; discs 10 and 14 rotate about eccentric axes, the purpose of. the coupling being to provide an efficient anti-friction coupling between two eccentric members, one being a drive member and the other being a driven member. In positioning; the balls properly they should, of course, rotate about an axis common to both of the discs 10 and 14 and in determining the positions of the balls one-half of the distance between the axes of rotation of the eccentric members constitutes the center or The reof the coupling is shown.

axis of rotation of the balls. These balls may be of any diameter and the position of the balls depends upon the radius selected struck from the axis of rotation of the balls. .Vhether these balls are positioned close to the axes of rotation of either of the eccentric members 10 and 14 depends largely upon what the coupling is to be used for.

Another advantage attained-in the use of a coupling of this particular characteris the' thrust effect which this coupling provides.

It will be noted that only a single bearing 13' if the recesses were'cup-shaped as set forth in my copending application of which this application is adivision. The balls 19, during the rotation of the discs 10 and 14, rollwithin the grooves or recessesand around the raised portion 21. substantially half of the circumference of the ball 19 being engaged. It should be further noted that by employing a recess of this particular'typea positive drivi-ng connection between the discs 10 and 14 is afforded and only one recess 18 in the disc- 10 and one recess 20in the disc 14' could be provided and there would be no possibility of back lash or lostmotion in the reversing in the direction of rotation'of the discs 10 and 14. It will, therefore, be seen that in this arrangement, of grooves and balls there is a positive driving action afforded in both di- With the use of balls rections at all times. as the connecting means between the discs the endthrust willbe taken up without any danger of the balls tipping'and at the same time the rolling action is over the entire surface of the balls.

1 "In Figs. 3 and 4 a further modification Itmight in some instances be inconvenient or impossible to grind or otherwise form the ball grooves 18 and 20 directly in the adjacent faces of the discs 10 and 14 or it may be too expensive for the purpose for which the coupling is to be used and. therefore, it is practical to make a separate ball race as indicated at 25 in Figs. 3' and 4. This preferably comprises a hardened disc'22 having reduced extensions 23 which are adapted to be pressed or otherwise secured within suitable openings 24 in the discs 10a and 14a. It will also be noted that in thisarrangement the discs 22 are interchangeable in the openings of the discs 10a and 14a. The adjacent faces of the discs 22 are provided with circular recesses 25 within which the balls 26 cooperate to effect a suitable anti-friction driving connection between the discs 10a and 14a. In this construction, which is very inexpensive, it will be noted that there is no need of hardening the discs 10a and 14a as would probably be necessary in the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Furthermore, it should be understood thata much-greater degree of accuracy could be obtained for locating the grooves 25 and the cooperating balls 26.

While I have described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be und'er-. stood that 1 am not to be limited thereto inasmuch. as many changes and modifications may be made vithout departing; from. the .pi'rit of the invention asdefined in the appended claims.

Having thus describedmy invention, I claim: 7

1. In a coupling, a drive element, a driven element rotatable eccentrically with respect. to said. driving element, relatively eccentric annular grooves in the adjacent faces of said elements, and a member connecting said elements and adapted to roll in said grooves.

2. In a coupling, a drive element, a driven element rotatable eccentrically with respect. to said driving element, a plurality of relatively eccentric annular grooves in the adjacent faces of said elements, and members connecting said elements and'adagted to roll in said grooves. 7

- 3. In a coupling, a driving! element, a driven element rotatableeccentricaldy with respect to said driving element, members associated with the adjacent faces of said elementsand provided withrelatively eccentric grooves in the adjacent faces thereof, aud 'a member disposed in said grooves and adapted to roll in said grooves.

4. In a coupling, a driving element, a driven element rotatable eccentrical-l y with respect to said driving element, members associated with said elements and provided with relatively eccentric grooves in the adjacent faces thereof, and rolling members disposed in said grooves and adapted to drivingly connect said Y elements.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature.

JAMES P. JOHNSON. 

